2 Abilene bars now open until 2 a.m.

by Lindsey Ragas

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ABILENE, Texas - Last call has officially been extended for Guitars & Cadillacs and The Ugly Lime Tequila Bar in Abilene. Back in May, Abilene City Council approved a proposal to allow bars to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. Beginning October 1, bars could apply for the late hours permit. The owner of Guitars & Cadillacs and The Ugly Lime Tequila Bar wasted no time and applied for the permit on October 1. "We got the good news on Wednesday and the owner called me and told me, 'Hey we're going to stay open, we got the permit, we're good to go,'" said Guitars & Cadillacs General Manager Scott Goldsby. "I'm really happy about it. I mean, yes it ' s more [work] time but, you know, it gives people a chance to have more time to have fun." Goldsby said they're expecting a large crowd Thursday night when they test out the extended hours. However, if the crowd dies down early, Goldsby said they can choose to close Guitars & Cadillacs and The Ugly Lime before 2 a.m. "If everybody leaves at midnight and nobody is here, we're going to go ahead and close," Goldsby said. The city said eight other bars and restaurants in town have applied for the permit, including Hooters, and The Zone Grill & Bar.

Goldsby said Guitars & Cadillacs will most likely stay open later Thursday through Saturday, but not on Wednesdays. Since they will be open later, they plan to hire more workers and security.